reins flapping, up dashed my own horse, Tiger.




CHAPTER X


All this being beyond me, and then some, I proceeded methodically to
carry out my complicated plan; which was, it will be remembered, to eat
supper and then to go and see about it in person. I performed the first
part of this to my entire satisfaction but not to that of the rest. They
accused me of unbecoming secrecy; only they expressed it differently.
That did not worry me, and in due time I made my escape. At the corral I
picked out a good horse, one that I had brought from the Gila, that
would stay tied indefinitely without impatience. Then I lighted me a
cigarette and jogged up the road. I carried with me a little grub, my
six-gun, the famous black bag, and an entirely empty head.

The night was only moderately dark, for while there was no moon there
were plenty of those candle-like desert stars. The little twinkling
lights of the Box Springs dropped astern like lamps on a shore. By and
by I turned off the road and made a wide détour down the sacatone
bottoms, for I had still some sense; and roads were a little too
obvious. The reception committee that had taken charge of my little
friend might be expecting another visitor--me. This brought my approach
to the blank side of the ranch where were the willow trees and the
irrigating ditch. I rode up as close as I thought I ought to. Then I
tied my horse to a prominent lone Joshua-tree that would be easy to
find, unstrapped the black bag, and started off. The black bag, however,